Fathers: Mighty Men of Valor!

"The son of Uzzi was Izrahiah, and the sons of Izrahiah were Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Ishiah. All five of them were chief men. And with them, by their generations, according to their fathers' houses, were thirty-six thousand troops ready for war; for they had many wives and sons. Now their brethren among all the families of Issachar were mighty men of valor, listed by their genealogies, eighty-seven thousand in all" (1 Chronicles 7:3-5).

Fathers, especially in a nation (and world) that seems to daily and exponentially descend into absolute moral depravity, need to understand deeply in their heart of hearts the solemnity of their calling and responsibility.  I'm a father myself--a proud one at that--and looking at society's current incurable ailment with spiritual eyes I have come to understand the present state only by aligning these horrendous events with the immutable judgments of the Holy Scriptures.  I have come to understand the current state of affairs as the tangible workings of an intricately constructed and efficiently conducted system that functions by harnessing very real energies, and I need not remind anyone that no system, machine, or procedure exists without having a very meticulously crafted purpose.  And to determine the purpose of this immensely powerful and diabolical invisible system we need only look at its superfluous visible effects. 
     One of the most damning indicators of the sway of an unseen sinister machine is evidenced by the pervading culture of incarceration and recidivism in the United States.  The rampant plague of imprisonment is ravaging tens of millions of homes across the country leaving tens of millions of children fatherless as the overwhelming majority of felons are male, many of whom are fathers.  

     The media colossus, at every turn, seeks to fill our homes and our minds with scenes from programs such as Family Guy, American Dad, Modern Family, and various "reality" television shows, all carefully designed to portray husbands and fathers as weak-willed buffoons with little to no moral fortitude.  Yes, in popular culture today, the women rule the home.  One must ask, however, is the art simply imitating reality?


  
     A debilitating American welfare system encourages irresponsible sexual behavior, and a public school system skews the perception of young boys and girls of what real men, husbands and fathers are like as a whopping 82% of all public school teachers in America are female.  
     Hip-Hop music is dominated by misogyny and the portrayal of young Black males as empty-headed, threatening fools more concerned with jewelry and fashion than fatherhood (see The Brutal Execution of Hip-Hop).  Even the public airwaves, mainly in highly urban areas are daily polluted with profanity-laced lyrics with many of which not even being discreet in their coarse descriptions and soliticitations of lewdness and various sexual acts.
     I have three daughters, and my blood literally boils when I imagine anyone propositioning any one of them in the way that some of the most popular songs are indirectly propositioning females today.  It is outrageous that this has become an acceptable form of music.

     In the city of Chicago, especially in the summer months, the news reports come in almost daily of multiple shootings, many of which are fatalities as the gang culture on our streets sucks in more and more boys who become enslaved by illicit drug use, violent crime, and death.  These gang members are overwhelmingly the tragic results of fatherless homes, or fathers who have not come to truly understand their God-ordained duty.



     

     I could obviously go on for several days tabulating not even one percent of the tragedies that daily occur in America that are directly the result of godly fathers not powerfully carrying out their charge, but I would much rather even in the shadow of death and suffering present the solution to these problems.  In the Bible verse that precedes this post from I Chronicles, it speaks of a man named Uzzi who had just one son, Izrahiah who in turn, had four sons of his own.  Most often, when we read over the multiple genealogies contained in Scripture our eyes glaze over and at times we skip over these precise records (and I speak from experience) but I believe that they're there to teach some very practical lessons about how influential and world-shaping fathers can be in this sin-filled world. 
     Without tabulating the entire history of the conquest of Canaan, I will just say that those were days of constant struggle, war, and vigilance.  Successfully inheriting the land required just what Uzzi produced: "thirty-six thousand troops ready for war."  I find it astounding that from this man came these incredibly brave, stout men ready for combat.  Obviously, there was a message and teaching that went from Uzzi to his four sons that was retaught at least forty thousand times bringing to birth a mighty division of the great army of Israel.
     Within the land were peoples of tremendous violence, perversion, and wickedness.  The Bible says that the Anakim were in the land (Numbers 13:33; Joshua 14:12) these were the giants of old (the most notable being Goliath whom King David slew).  They dwelt in massive cities surrounded by well-fortified walls.  Their enemies had weapons and chariots of iron.  They had been skilled in war from fighting each other.  The Israelites were former slaves and the children of slaves but when men align themselves to God's program and cast down fear, inadequacy, and their own concepts of leading their families and communities then we can see radical transformations of said families and communities.  Instead of multiple thousands of boys and men to wreak havoc on society, imagine forty thousand men of God, committed to doing God's will without equivocation!  The Scripture also says that all thirty-six thousand were ready for war!
     I think there is a reason that the mothers and wives are not named, as we can identify other Scriptures where the women are specifically named with purpose.  Uzzi obviously was raising his sons with the goal of making them like he was, because it clearly says that "All five of them were chief men."  Uzzi was a chief man, a prominent, strong, brave, choice man, and for his sons to be ascribed the same modifiers reveals what is not explicitly mentioned--he was daily, diligently teaching his sons to be chief men, and not only that, but by his godly fatherhood his sons produced thirty-six thousand more duplicates of their father all ready to unhesitatingly carry out the will of God Almighty.  What a marvelous testament to the long-range effects of just one godly father!
     In 2012, God is not asking his men to raise sons to pick up swords to physically fight against His enemies.  He is sending His men out armed with the Holy Spirit and the Gospel of Jesus Christ to tear down every one of Satan's strongholds (Proverbs 21:22; II Corinthians 10:4) that are crushing the lives and spirits of millions--billions--around the globe.  Uzzi was showing through his conduct how mighty men of valor behave, because you can teach with words how to do something, but for the techniques to stick, you must show how to do it regular modeling.
     I am more than proud to say that I belong to a church that is a family church, one that exalts the office of Fatherhood and equips men through teaching, preaching, and placement of good fathers into places of authority and responsibility.  The Apostolic Church of God has teeming in its halls and sanctuaries men who are literally following the example of Uzzi, and perhaps most preeminent of those Uzzi-like men has been Bishop Arthur M. Brazier who by his own teaching and conduct [over a 48-year pastoral ministry] produced a mighty man of valor from his own loins, Dr. Byron T. Brazier, current pastor of the Apostolic Church of God.  Dr. Brazier is, by his effective leading reproducing men not unlike his own father.  I could go on with other examples: Elder Ronald E. Smith, Sr., Deacon Steve Small, Bro. Radford Smith, Min. Dwight Lewis, Elder Wendell Kendricks, and on and on.  
     As fathers understand the state of war that exists in our homes and communities, and the empowerment found only in Christ (as Uzzi and his sons did) we will, when led by the Holy Spirit, use the proper spiritual weapons to wage unending, merciless war against all of the institutions, practices, and schemes that are destroying our nation.  Yes, fathers are the God-ordained difference!
     Yes, the raising of the "thirty-six thousand troops ready for war" proceeds in earnest at the Apostolic Church of God.  The kingdom of Satan will be shaken and toppled to ruins. 
    

The Fall Of CPS

in the angry eyes of young black boys
i have seen a future in which this system is destroyed
and no metaphoric destruction that i currently foresee
but one that reverberates throughout the darkness of this reality
this doom shall fester in its burning smoking ruin
and there will be no relief no salve or aid for this fatal wound
i saw those in power
flee for their lives in shame and utter terror
running frantically to ensure the safety
of their escalades and lincoln navigators
and i heard little girls scream
“my innocence! my innocence! my knowledge for my innocence!”
as the mighty turned deaf ears looking away to their hordes of their dollars and cents
what have we for the boys
forced by a cruel and unjust society to be grown men
when the state rewards incompetence
believing the answer is better written lesson plans
where is the meaning
in the complicated curriculum
don’t you know that the street
also has created and published one
this system is preparing our children
for the dreaded order of the new world
one in which they will not think
but only do what they are told
jonathan kozol will our solution come from
more funds from the government
do you know what is happening in cps sir
yes i’m talking to you mr
chief executive officer
i saw teachers and the upper eschelon chasing
the wallpaper that most of us call money
while defrauding these young souls
laughing all the way to the bank
as if something is funny
i wonder what they will do when
all their extravagant dreams all come to naught
i wonder if they shall offer prayers of repentance
when they at last look upon the evil their hearts and hands have wrought
the day shall come
when our children shall be our rulers and kings
when they shall treat us with all the hate
they can muster according to their remembering;
they shall remember
when they were treated like only mere numbers
and we will recall
all the wasted time they were allowed to have
during the long hot violent summers
yes the day will come
when they shall be our rulers and our kings
the day shall come
when we will be totally under their designed-by-this-system sway
when at last almighty God will demand
the price of this system’s sins be finally paid

Dressed Like a Virgin, Heart of a Prostitute

"Then the kingdom of Heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps" (Matthew 25:1-4).

 

 

A recurring theme in my thoughts these days revolves around the triumphantly sudden return of the Lord Jesus Christ for His own.  This is an event Christians are routinely mocked and disdained for, one that, in the eyes of this world, appears part of science-fiction or fairy tale-fiction.  Daily, this world is worsening by the hour, violence erupts and rages in every country on earth and is growing more and more pervasive.  The entire world is awash with illicit drug use and the bloodshed it creates.  Entire nations throb with political and social unrest, whole peoples are brimming over with anxiety and fury and fear and vice.  Syria is still being bombed to rubble; the people of North Korea continue to starve, and the United States and Iran seem poised to embroil the whole world in nuclear conflagration.  And speaking of America, she grows ever closer to the brink of ruin brought on by her complete embrace of immorality and fiscal suicide; the Muslim nations surrounding Israel are arming to the teeth; Communist China positions itself to supplant Western powers as the one lone superpower left in the world.  The geo-politics of the world are a house of cards.  Earthquakes and other natural disasters rock our planet with regularity.  All of these are signs of Christ's imminent return, just as He predicted in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  His blood-bought Church must be ready and found doing His will.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the Parable of the Ten Virgins, five of which were wise and five being foolish.  They wise preparation within the Parable was being  determined by their possession (or lack thereof) of the precious oil needed to trim their lamps in expectation of the bridegroom's return.  And to provide some background, a Jewish wedding ceremony at that time could last up to seven days!  The ceremony and consummation would actually only be small parts of the wedding whereas the music, fellowship and singing, food and drinking would be the bulk of that time.  After the contract was established between the bridegroom and the father of the bride (and I'm skipping a few things), the bridegroom would leave his bride to go to build (or prepare) the home they would share together in marriage, and he would stay as long as was necessary to make their new abode absolutely perfect.  The bride would have to live this unspecified amount of time faithfully, and in constant expectation of her husband's return.  The bridegroom could return at any moment, of course adding to the thrill of being betrothed.  Her friends would wait with her as well.  The implications for the Church are obvious.

I realize that I'm leaving out quite a bit, but my point of emphasis is on the virgins—the ten virgins—all of whom "slumbered and slept" while the bridegroom was delayed.  The most likely conclusion one could make, at least a rudimentary one, is that the five foolish virgins are those who are not saved, not ready for Christ's return.  I wouldn't argue that assessment but what should be closely examined is the fact that all were dressed as virgins, and all slept, including the virgins that Christ called wise.  This is important because if those who slept were unsaved, what about the wise who also slept?  The dominant theme of Matthew chapters 24 and 25 is to watch.  The virgins who had the oil were not watching.  They had oil, which I personally interpret as being emblematic of the Holy Spirit, but the most important thing they had failed to do, which was to just watch.

The five wise virgins who had oil, that were able to trim their lamps to have light to find the entrance to the wedding celebration chamber, were able at least to enter in for the feast.  When Christ returns, oh, what shame the Church will have for falling asleep, for having become encumbered with the cares of this world, but having the oil which is the Holy Spirit guarantees entry into the presence of the bridegroom.  The five foolish virgins looked like virgins, no doubt acted like virgins, but in reality they were not ready to carry out the purpose of their dress and position.  I wonder how many "good" church-goers are dressed like virgins but inwardly have prostituted themselves to the affairs of this world?  I wonder how many who fill the pews Sunday after Sunday will experience the greatest shock of their lives when they find they will not be allowed to enter into the presence of Christ while having thought for years that they would absolutely, positively enter Heaven.  Like the virgins who were dressed, in the proper place with the bride, possibly hundreds of millions of "Christians" look like virgins but are foolishly self-deceived and headed for an eternal hell.  I have no pleasure saying this, but some of the number of "foolish virgins" are evangelists, Sunday School teachers, elders, deacons, even pastors.  The dangers are clearly seen in our world today, because without the Holy Spirit sin cannot be mastered, which is why members of the groups just mentioned are enslaved by vile, sinister sins yet in the eyes of the world are honorable men and women.  It is these who have the hearts of prostitutes—their allegiance should be to Christ, but with no oil in their lamps they metastasize to whatever false doctrine is popular and financially lucrative and pollute the company of true believers.

Romans 8:8-9 is clear that if one does not have the Spirit of Christ then they do not belong to Him.  One of the marks of the last days is a dearth of false teaching and apostasy.  Those who are saved must be on guard against the slumber that is just a part of being human; not a physical sleeping as the disciples engaged in in the Garden of Gethsemane, but one of the spirit which comes from allowing one's mind to drift away from the urgency of the things of Christ and onto the things of this world.  Virgins keep themselves pure in mind and in body and are watchful the sudden arrival of the bridegroom.  Are you watching?  Are you ready?

You're Right—God is NOT Fair!

“But God, who is RICH in mercy... (Ephesians 2:4a, emphasis added)”

There is one question that will probably never cease from being asked by mankind, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, religion, or even socioeconomic status, but also one that has perplexed the most learned, and those most privy to the deep mysteries of this seemingly endless cosmos:

"Why do bad things happen to good people?"

This is a query that is actually deep on a number of levels, and one that pierces the very essence of what has come to painfully define what we refer to as "the human condition."  What we, as human beings go through on a daily basis, I attest, is nothing compared to what even the lightest of trials would be if Almighty God were to cease from sustaining our lives, even for a picosecond.  One might say it's easy for me to say, drowning in all of the comforts at my beck and call here in the United States of America.  I have no choice but to stipulate, based especially on only rudimentary comparisons between my "hardships" and those of an orphan's of the recently earthquake-ravaged nation of Haiti, or the oft-targeted, teen-aged girl rape victim of Sudan starving and fearful trying to flee to South Sudan.  One thing is very clear: human suffering, almost more than anything defines the human condition.
     This conundrum is truly mind-boggling.  How is it that those who seemingly have not a peace-loving, honest, gentle bone in their entire body very often appear to be very well-off, prosperous, and successful?  How can the hard-working family man of Englewood (Chicago) surrounded by drug-powered, illegal money-energized gang violence, working 12-14 hours a day just to get his family out of the neighborhood, never seem to get ahead and even his seven year-old daughter seems the favorite inadvertent target of young, ignorant criminals?  Yes, the scales of cosmic justice appear ridiculously misaligned--fixed, even--to tilt toward evil's weight.  
     Diseases like cancer, influenza, AIDS, polio, and bubonic plague have decimated more human lives than all of the wars of all time combined, and despite our scientific and technological marvels, we  have proven impotent to stop them from continuing their oppressive reign over civilization.  Why do these monstrous plagues claim so often innocent children?  Why do the weak, defenseless of society have to suffer because of the corruption of others?    
     These questions (and others) were posed to me in a discussion with a self-proclaimed agnostic.  We were actually good friends and he wanted to know what my Christian faith had to say concerning these issues; among those was another burning question asked by many: 

"Why does God choose to save some and allow others to suffer the hell of Christian theology?"

     My response to the former questions was just a simple, but universe-shattering-in-power three letter word--sin.  Man's sin, going back to earliest human history is the cause of our suffering.  The Bible is just a book to agnostics, but history speaks almost as loudly, proclaiming that there's just something "out of kilter" about man.  He always finds a way to destroy and tear down; he invariably finds ways to hurt, persecute, oppress, and kill his fellows.  To get the upper hand, he'll tell any lie he needs to tell; to sate his black lusts he'll fornicate with or violate any one's wife or husband, or even child.  And he's just proud enough to believe that his environment is the cause of his flaws and shortcomings.
     Man was created in perfection, but he decided of his own free will to step outside of God's established limits.  He died spiritually in the instant he made his decision independent of God.  His act of rebellion brought the spiritual pestilence of sin into the world that has its all-too-visible effects on the physical realm.  My friend didn't want to call what's wrong with man sin, but he couldn't argue with its effects.  God had every right to either destroy man immediately or just allow him to destroy himself and to then start over.  Every man, woman, and child from Adam has been born with a predisposition to sin, and this cannot be disputed.  But through it all, God has showered the entire human race with what we sometimes call His common grace.  His common grace is simply the outpouring of His generous, loving, merciful nature upon mankind despite our enmity toward Him.  It's His nature to be long-suffering and patient.  It's His nature to love and hold back anger, and it is in that working of common grace that He restrains the full expression of man's evil because we all can concur that man, with his modern weapons of war, could destroy himself and every other living thing on earth many times over.
     Consider the things we've all done in the dark, away from prying human eyes.  God could have removed us from His earth at that very moment, but He didn't, even though in His perfect, righteous judgment, He had every right to.  It's His universe!  Just as I arrange the words of this post in any way I see fit, adding and deleting so that my ideas are communicated the way I want them to be, God has the same right but on an infinitely larger scale.  And were He to be fair, we would all have reaped a trillion-fold the seeds of sin we have sowed in our lives.  If God were to be fair and not permit the rain to fall, or for there to be even the semblance of order in our communities, or for the diseases that lay waiting to consume us to do exactly that, no one would exist.
     God's refusal to be fair rests solely on the finished work of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:6,8; 6:23).  Christ took on the sins of all men, past, present, and future (I Corinthians 5:21).  God hates sin-hates it-and He was perfectly fair with Jesus as He hung on that rugged, blood-soaked cross for the sin debt we had accrued.  God held back what He owed man because He would Himself provide the payment for sin.  He has chosen to allow man to benefit from Christ's sacrifice.  All of our time on earth is borrowed.  Therefore, God is not fair, and I praise Him that He isn't.  He is rich in mercy but shall not let anyone who refuses Christ to their death go without the eternal punishment he/she deserves.  Sin is the cause for our suffering and death in this life.  God has provided the remedy: Christ.  Unfortunately, sin is here to stay with us until the Lord remakes all things devoid of sin and evil (Revelation 21), but in the meantime, let us not think for one second that those who do evil and "get away with it" are truly escaping, for God has appointed a time when all evildoers shall answer for everything they have ever done in this world, and there will be no one to deliver out of the hand of a just God (Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:11-15).  Let us then bask in His unfairness for placing His judgment of sin on His own dear Son!  So when one complains about life not being fair, let that one thank God that He has prevented that situation from being one hundred times worse, and that there is a beautiful, sinless, pain-free, suffering-free world prepared for all those who receive Christ as Lord and Saviour (John 3:16-18; 6:38-40; 14:1-4; I Thessalonians 4:14-17).        

The Attempted Assassination of Kirk Cameron

"Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops" (Matthew 10:27).

"Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and a wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist" (Luke 21:14-15).

 

     Today is a day of astounding technological achievement, one in which the laws of biochemistry and the fundamental forces of the universe are bending, bowing in almost total obeisance to man's iron-clad will.  As deep into the shroud of darkest space that man has peered, he has also gazed into the unparalleled, busy structure of sub-atomic space.  In recent centuries, literature has flourished, burning scathing brands onto the minds of countless millions across generations.  Sprawling cities shine and throb with unimaginable energy and activity, the construction of which conquers wild and untamed wilderness, harnessing also the white, foamy power of furious water.  The war against disease continues to rage, and before man's ingenuity and merciless onslaught of medical science it seeks to marshal a grand counterattack in desperation.  Yes, certainly since he's spied upon ravaging bacteria and viruses he has come far, but has yet to master the riddle of how to outrun his profound brutality and rancor against his very own brethren. 
     Recently, I saw on Twitter, trending mightily, Kirk Cameron's name.  My familiarity of Kirk Cameron goes all the way back to one of my favorite shows from the 1980's (and early 90s), Growing Pains, starring Cameron, Joanna Kerns, Alan Thicke, Tracey Gold, and Jeremy Miller.  After the very successful run of that show, Kirk Cameron pretty much "fell off the map" so to speak, at least as far as I was concerned, because for years, I hadn't seen him in any films and hadn't seen him in any television shows.  I wasn't looking for him either, I must admit.  When Kirk Cameron did finally again become a blip on my radar in the year 2000, he had publicly professed faith in Jesus Christ as a born-again, Bible-believing Christian and was starring in a film called Left Behind, about world events after the Rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ.
     My purpose here is not to debate the truth of this prophesied event found in the pages of the Bible (of which I believe is imminent), but to discuss the fury against Kirk Cameron as a result of his appearance on Piers Tonight (the link to the video is shown below).  Piers Morgan asked Mr. Cameron about his views on homosexual marriage and the gay lifestyle.  Questions about homosexual marriage, and homosexuality in general are "hot button" queries in today's American society and most in the public eye take great care to respond to those questions with replies that will garner favor from the homosexual community, or they won't answer at all.  Furthermore, it has become quite acceptable for a man or woman to unabashedly show their homosexual preference--joining with their partner in a Civil Union or even full-fledged matrimony, as is the law in a growing number of states in America.
     Homosexual marriage is a very polarizing topic, with an ever-shrinking minority of Americans being regarded as the intolerant fringe because they oppose something that more and more are viewing as a civil right.  Personally, I do not concur with mainstream America that a person's sexual preference is a legally protected "right."  Freedom of speech is, though.  Kirk Cameron voiced his opinion about homosexual marriage and the hateful, vulgar comments by people in the media descended upon him like a flood, showing that as long as you go with the crowd, you are worthy of respect.  But to travel contrary to the direction of the crowd is to ensure persecution.
     I am a Christian, and I do believe in what the Bible says about all sins, be they fornication, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, sodomy, theft, coveting, drunkenness, extortion, etc.  Biblical Truth has become increasingly unpopular in recent years and is viewed now as being quite narrow-minded and intolerant in a society that is obviously post-Christian now.  I say post-Christian because this nation has moved beyond its Christian foundations into a relativistic, morally ambiguous culture where literally almost anything goes, "as long as you're happy."
     And here's Kirk Cameron, looking down the barrel of that question, and to his credit, he didn't flinch.  (My only complaint is that he didn't go far enough.)  Kirk Cameron, I believe, was asked that particular question purposefully; I think that the producers of that show, and Piers Morgan himself knew that only one answer would come from the mouth of Kirk Cameron on this topic.  Now, of course I can't be dogmatic on that, it's just something that I think. 
     I read the comments posted to the video and I was just appalled at the vicious, obscenities aimed at Kirk Cameron for his stand on God's original, intended definition and design for marriage.  Marriage is between one man and one woman for life.  Period.  It was just so refreshing to watch him speak Truth, knowing that intense ire would be directed at him in the ensuing days and weeks.  That's really my point of this post, this time.  Of course, I could delve deeper into the central, theologically weightier issues concerning homosexual marriage, but not this time.  I want to simply stress that what Mr. Cameron did was something that Christians need to do more of and that's simply to stand on God's Truth without apology, without flinching, without hesitation.  "It is the last hour" (I John 2:18) and one of the characteristics of the last hour would be great sexual perversion, and rampant violence all over the world.  Kirk Cameron did not say what he said in angry tones or with a frown.  He was very pleasant and cordial.  Homosexuals are not to be hated or persecuted; there is no Bible verse (after the earthly ministry of Christ) that calls for brutal political pogroms against homosexuals.  Kirk Cameron didn't call for that, nor do I think he would endorse such evil.
     I believe that the questions regarding this subject were strategically included in the interview with intent to destroy.  Many a career has been derailed because of an unpopular stance on varying social issues but Kirk Cameron handled being in the crosshairs of controversy with great poise and class, worthy of the name Christian.  It appears that the homosexual community, judging from the comments and negative media coverage, is tolerant of any point of view, as long as that point of view accepts or endorses their lifestyle, but all points of view that do not are to be staunchly eschewed, even insulted and silenced.  I must say now, however, that I do not approve of or condone the hateful attacks that Christians-in-name-only launch at homosexuals.  Christ Himself said that it would be His followers' love that would validate their alignment with Him (John 13:35), and what greater love (other than sacrificing one's life) is there than speaking the truth to one's self-destructive behavior?  Bravo, Kirk Cameron!  Bravo!

The Horrible, Terrible Beauty of the Cross of Jesus Christ

    Had I been a smarter man I would have come to Jesus as soon as I were able to put two thoughts and two or three words together--but I'm not that smart, and because of my meager intellect I can't present anything original, anything new, nothing that's going to reinvent the wheel, so I'm not going to even to try.  Instead, I'll just give you something that's just so perfect in simplicity, perfect in power, perfect in Truth--I'll just give you the cross, the blood-soaked instrument used by God to secure our salvation and peace.
     [I Corinthians 15:1-5]
     The riches of the cross is greater than all the world's wealth because our lives are just for a moment; great wealth can vanish overnight; homes can be broken into; identities can be stolen; but right standing with God lasts when all the material possessions are smoldering piles of ashes.
     Pure and simple, man is broken, and on his best day--his best day--he's damaged goods just scraping and scrambling to just make through each day.  You may not agree, but you can look at these mean Chicago streets and see that man is inherently evil, loves to be evil, and can't do anything worthy of God's favor on his own.  Ephesians chapter 2 let's us know that we were from birth the "children of wrath" in God's eyes because of sin.  It's man's nature to do evil--don't think so?  Okay, commit to doing something that should be very simple to do--don't tell a single lie for 30 days, or don't think a lustful thought for one week.  If you're honest, you will realize that that you can't.  In fact, we've done these things already possibly tens of thousands of times.  Ever cursed?--that's sin (Eph 4:29).  Ever had sex outside of marriage or while single?--that's sin (Deut 5:18, Matt 5:28).  Ever hated anyone?--that's sin I John 3:15, Deut 5:17).  Ever planned in your heart to do evil?--that's sin (Prov 1:10-19).  Ever gotten drunk? high? had homosexual thoughts, tendencies?--these are sin (I Cor 6:9-11, Gal 5:19-21).
     Why is this so important?  You might say, "Well, nobody's perfect." Or, "I'm basically good."  No, this is important because no matter how good we think we are, or how great other people may say we are, we fail to match the infinitely high standard of God's holiness, and because He is holy, and perfectly so, He will never allow sin into His presence--ever.  He loves us, but He will not compromise His holiness for us because He is completely free of this thing called sin which He hates, and is dedicated to ridding from His presence forever.
     I remember a few years ago when I had returned home to my wife after playing basketball.  I was smelly, sweaty, and just plain filthy, and though my wife and I are deeply in love, she absolutely would not touch me, wouldn't kiss me, wouldn't even allow me to be in the same room with her until I got clean.  After I got clean all the full privileges of marriage were mine again.  This is similar to how it is with God.  You have to get clean, and while He loves you He will not soil Himself with the filth of sin!
     The bad news is that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, that the penalty of sin is death, and that hell is the destiny of every man, woman, child ever born (apart from Christ).  Sin is why we experience pain, disease, why we suffer, and fight.  The bad news is that we can't change ourselves even if we wanted to, and don't even have the power to want to.
     "But God" knows you don't have the power to be holy as He is which is the requirement to be in His presence.  You must be holy.  Now this is not meant to make anyone feel less than human, or to take away anyone's dignity, but I have been given firm, sober, loving instruction by Elder and Evangelist Kendricks to speak the truth, man's only hope is in that old, rugged cross of Jesus Christ.  Now, of course we place no faith in an actual wooden talisman, but it's what happened on that cross is what we hang all hope on.  No human could die the death necessary to gain our freedom from sin, death, and Satan, and no power on earth could make us strong enough to keep the God's Law.
     The cross is His chosen instrument to win our peace, the brutal, bloody death Jesus suffered encapsulated all of the uninhibited wrath of God meant for unrepentant man for all eternity.  The cross is worn around the necks of some of the most famous, wealthy singers, rappers, entertainers, and I would go as far as to say that none of them truly understand the horror of it, that at the time of Christ, the sight of the cross inspired stark terror to the viewer of it; the threat of the punishment of the cross made people of that time walk about in fear, and under the cruelly efficient Roman Empire, many people died before they even reached the cross.  Roman punishment made men weep, made them lose all heart, courage, dignity.  The humiliation of the cross and its agony are legendary.
      The Father knew what this particular death would entail, He knew that this kind of execution could not be borne by anyone but Jesus Christ, He knew that all of the sin of all people that would be born, had been born and would suffer for in hell would be placed upon His dear Son, and not for one, single, solitary, one-one hundredth of a second did Christ even think about not going through the most painful hours one could ever experience because two things were on His mind: total obedience to the Father and you and me.  He saw you and me as he took the blows from His own creations, He was thinking about us when He endured the disrespect, the scorn, the cursing, the slander, the beatings, the spit in His face, the weight of the cross as He carried it, the splinters in His bloody, shredded back, all the way to the iron nails driven into His body hammered by a mallet of hate, envy, rebellion, and sin.  At any time He could have gotten off of that cross and said to the Father, "I will not endure this!  I am God and I am owed honor and worship, and praise!" but He stayed there, hanging broken and dripping red, stripped of His clothing, and of personal rights due Him because He knew there was no other way to pay our debt of sin.  In fact, He petitioned the Father in Gethsemene that if there was any other way, that the Father allow it to be done-- but there wasn't--and in obedience, He did the Father's will to the letter.
     Now, considering all that Christ went through, we must understand that rejection of Christ has eternal ramifications.  Just as Heaven is the perfect place of peace and joy, and comfort, hell is equally perfect but in chaos, despair, and indescribable pain and both experiences are forever.  To reject now says that Christ is nothing to you, His sacrifice was insignificant and not worthy or your attention.  
     Jesus came to save us and He asks for nothing in return--it's a free gift!  John 3:14-21 says it better than I ever could:

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, 

even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,  

that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, 

that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, 

but that the world through Him might be saved. 

He who believes in Him is not condemned; 

but he who does not believe is condemned already, 

because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, 

and men loved darkness rather than light, 

because their deeds were evil.  

For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, 

lest his deeds should be exposed.  

But he who does the truth comes to the light, 

that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.

 

His Mercy Endures Forever!

Originally presented January 12, 2012 in the Institute of Evangelism graduation ceremony, Elder Wendell and Evangelist Diana Kendricks,instructors, Apostolic Church of God, Dr. Byron T. Brazier, pastor.

"First and foremost I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for the Holy Spirit; I thank Him for my outstanding wife without whom I could not have met my time and work obligations-- she's my so beautiful, so faithful song; I thank Him for my five healthy children, all undeniable proof that God loves that which is lovely and that He is love personified; for my parents who have always been there for me making innumerable things possible, even before I was born.  Saints, ladies, gentlemen, I could go on thanking the Lord for His blessings and grace, but whether saved or unsaved, there's one thing we can all thank Him for above all else--His mercy.

If we just momentarily dwell on the past, and if we're completely honest, all of us have been in places where we ought not to have been, thinking, saying, doing things that we knew from childhood that ought not to have been done.  Most, if not all of the times when we flirted with disaster, we never even thought twice about why we were allowed to see another day.  I've seen horrible automobile accidents and have even been in a pretty bad one myself, but there's only one obvious reason why I'm still here, why we're all still breathing and gathered for this joyous occasion, and that reason is because God is merciful.  We can all take immense comfort in Psalm 103, verse 8 which says,

"Jehovah is merciful and gracious, 

slow to anger and abounding in mercy."

In this short amount of time I would just like to dwell on the famous (or, depending how you look at him, infamous) nephew of the revered patriarch Abraham, Lot in Genesis chapter 19.

Lot knew the power of God, but one night as his uncle Abraham was in prayer for him, as well as the incomprehensibly wicked city of Sodom, he truly experienced the awesome, unfathomable magnitude of God's mercy.  The following morning, Jehovah was to destroy the entire city along with all of its neighboring cities and had sent two of his angels to evacuate Lot and his family.  One might ask why Lot, whom the Bible calls a righteous man in 2 Peter 2:7-8, was not only in Sodom, but in a very prominent place in the city (see Remember Lot's Wife! about the importance of the gate)?  Why did Lot choose to remain there and enjoy its comforts--?  Simple: he compromised.

Some of us in this room are right now, living compromised lives, but thanks be to God that even though our hearts, just like Lot's, can get so far from God, that He is merciful and provides a way of escape from judgment.  The angels not only came for Lot and his family but for anyone--anyone--else he knew or befriended in that city--yes, even Sodom!

Saints, ladies, gentlemen, Sodom and Gomorrah (and the surrounding cities) are known for evil and perversion that have become legendary, but for the compromisers- God's mercy  provided a way of escape; for the violent homosexual--God's mercy made available a way out; for the insatiable rapists--God's mercy presented even them with an escape.  Time does not permit me to dig much any deeper into the earth of the Truths of this Scripture, but as I take my seat, I wish to just leave you with this: God's mercy is still providing a way of escape from eternal separation from that mercy, here in these fleeting, final hours of Man's Day.  That escape has a name, saints, ladies and gentlemen, and His Name is Jesus Christ, and it is He who said in the third chapter of John verse three, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.""

To The Apostolic Man

"I was dangerous on the street; now I'm dangerous for the Lord Jesus Christ.  I don't want to be no weak-kneed, jelly-backed Christian."  Elder Ronald E. Smith, Sr., Assistant Pastor, Apostolic Church of God, Chicago, Dr. Byron T. Brazier, Pastor

"And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for Jehovah your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath."  Joshua 2:11

The Apostolic Man knows and lives in the truth that his Lord, Savior, and Judge can come to receive His own at any moment.  He knows and agrees with the Holy Spirit's words by the Apostle John in I John 2:18 that the world lives and breathes the moments of "the last hour."  The Apostolic Man knows that literally billions of unsaved souls face an eternity of divine wrath as the just recompense for unrepentant sin, and that his service in Christ's Name will be closely and perfectly evaluated by his Lord's eyes that have seen, do see, and will see all done in thought, word, and deed.  The Apostolic Man therefore, thinks in the brilliant light of Christ's return and serves Him with all his ability and volition.  Equally as important, the Apostolic Man cleaves to that which is holy and good, hates and eschews that which is evil and corrupt.  The Apostolic Man would rather die than live in sin.

Seeing that the hour is very late and has an urgency and solemnity that is palpable, The Apostolic Man must cling to God's Word and feast on it as never before, for the Scripture is the sword, shield, and refuge of the Apostolic Man-- the Word of God is the richest repository of Truth, wisdom, and power in the universe.  It is the very dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and greatest treasure to be possessed by man.  How then, can the Apostolic Man continue wasting precious hours and days in the thrall of dancing flickerings of multiple television screens watching pointless athletic contests?  The time has long since passed when smartphones cannot continue to keep us spiritually blind, deaf, and dumb.  If not to advance the Gospel, how can Facebook and Twitter preoccupy the Apostolic Man with their endless, ultimately meaningless banter?  Surely, there is nothing inherently sinful about social media.  What is sinful is how they are allowed to dominate the time of the Apostolic Man; that which has our attention and devotion, that which predominantly controls the will is a god.  And if that controlling influence is not Jehovah then it is idolatry.

The Apostolic Man has learned how to mercilessly wage continuous war against his flesh to keep it in subjection to the Holy Spirit Who has taken up residence within him.  This evil, godless world is awash with illicit drug use, pornography, sexual perversion (passed as "alternative lifestyles") and religious activity devoid of power to deliver from sin.  The Apostolic Man knows that friendship with this world and its wicked system makes him an enemy of Jesus Christ.

The Apostolic Man knows that God is holy and can not, will not tolerate sin at any time, nor in any form.  The Apostolic Man knows that God hates sin, and whatever God hates, the Lord Jesus hates.  Christ's holiness demands that we live lives of holiness, refusing to compromise with a wicked world and the Satanic philosophies and doctrines that dominate this present age.  Holiness means that one is "set apart" for special or sacred use.  To say that Christ is holy is to say that He is not only totally free from sin but He cannot be tempted to sin, for there is nothing in Him that is subject to the lure of sin.  Christians are called to emulate Christ, therefore the Apostolic Man is to be holy as well (Lev. 10:1-3; 11:44, 45, I Peter 1:15).  And while it is impossible to be without sin while in these corrupt bodies, the Apostolic Man knows that holiness is the prime goal, the aim or every thought, word, and act.  Without holiness, the Apostolic Man cannot please the Lord at all.  Therefore the Apostolic Man not only rejects sin, resists temptation but refuses to provide himself opportunity to subject himself to his flesh.

The Apostolic Man knows that before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Church in America will probably face persecution by a society that is growing more and more anti-christian.  The Apostolic Man knows that his perseverance to stand in the evil day depends on how closely he walks with his Lord now.  The Apostolic Man must fervently cultivate his relationship with his Lord now while he is able to worship the Lord without inhibition in relative peace and under the freedom guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States.


All of his classes, countless meetings, his service within the walls of the church, his uplifting days of worship on Sundays and in Bible study must now-- now-- translate into vigorous, fierce warfare against a massive Satanic kingdom that holds the entire human race under oppressive humiliating rule.  The Apostolic Man must realize that each day must be a state of heated war without quarter against a host of dark, sinister enemies that don't sleep, rest, or tire of attacking mankind perpetually.  The Apostolic Man knows that to be effective he must be in the Lord's will every second and it is His will to spread His saving Word through word and testimony, by righteous conduct, and to labor in prayer day and night.

We should strive for individual success but also collective victory, for we are all members of Christ's body.

Eternal souls of men, women, and children who are hopelessly lost without Christ demand that we let go of every thing or person that can distract or impede our service in advancing the cure for sin-- the Gospel.  


The gates of hell should tremble before the advance of Apostolic Men!  The corrupt institutions that bleed our society of its dignity should dread currying the ire of Apostolic Men who are armed with the Word of God and who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, yet Christ's Name continues to be blasphemed and scorned.  Apostolic Man, do you not see that our lives of compromise have encouraged their disdain?  Can you not see that sin keeps us from boldly fighting our holy war against the Prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 6:12)?  We must live transparent lives before a distrustful world and the loud exclaims we proudly make to "Man up!" must be words we live by.  We have to live like we actually believe it and we must be willing to die for it for the honor of the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ is at stake.

The Apostolic Man is born again by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone (John 3:5-7, Ephesians 2:8-9).

The Apostolic Man is indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:8-11).

The Apostolic Man is holy as Jehovah is holy (Leviticus 10:1-3, 10, 44-45, Deuteronomy 14:2).

The Apostolic Man loves Jehovah his God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).

The Apostolic Man loves his neighbor as himself (Mark 12:31).

The Apostolic Man loves God's Holy Word (Psalm 119:97-100, Isaiah 8:20).

The Apostolic Man worships God (Psalms 147, 148, 149).

The Apostolic Man loves his wife, provides for his family (Ephesians 5:25-33, I Timothy 5:8).

The Apostolic Man has the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:1-11).

The Apostolic Man is humble and serves others (John 13:12-17).

Since We Are Sons of God

"He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."  John 8:44

This entire world system wheezes and struggles to draw even the most faint of breaths, for it languishes in the iron, merciless grip of a diabolical, sinister, blackhearted tyrant who lives only to accuse and steal, kill, and destroy.  This enemy has hatefully and joyously endorsed all of man's would-be saviors, all of humandkind's supposed super-men who through any means sought to bring their own utopia on this planet.  Every Antiochus Epiphanes, Nero, Hitler, Mao, Amin-- all of them combined-- in ferocity and brutality and viciousness all pale in comparison to man's common, unsleeping enemy.  I speak not metaphorically of cancer, AIDS, or some other seemingly undefatigable plague; I speak not in general terms of man's inhumanity to man, nor of geopolitical corruption.  No, I speak of a foe man has no hope of even gaining a single advantage, no chance of winning one battle in the war against him.  I speak of none other than Satan himself.  And no, I refer not to some frail buffoon in a ridiculously shiny, skin-tight red suit with an inanimate styrofoam tail attached, who awkwardly brandishes a plastic pitchfork.  I speak not of a mythical finger-tall imp who sits on the left shoulder of us all whispering mishievous schemes for us to perform.  I speak emphatically, based on the Word of God of an enemy who is like a ravenous, powerful lion which stalks from the brush unsuspecting prey.  (And actually, the lion knows its power and needs not disguise its plans, and fears no creature of the wild.)  This enemy's tongue is lethal and seductive.  This enemy is a great, red, fearsome dragon.  Satan, my friend, is more powerful than all man's alleged wisdom, technological capability, creativity, etc., because when we're done with that list, all of man's ammunition is ultimately chained to the reality of the physical.  Add to that that man is by nature depraved and loves his hedonistic, selfish world of his wicked flesh and does much of Satan's work for him.  Satan operates in the spiritual realm, powerfully impacting the physical universe.  Alone against him, man is woefully, miserably lost.  

Satan's sole purpose can be summed up in one word: corruption.  He lives to corrupt man himself, his resources, whichever he needs or chooses, his mind, but most of all his relationship or status with Almighty God, keeping him spiritually dead.  Satan eagerly wishes to keep man in opposition to God, and while he is powerless against the Holy Spirit's use of God's word to convict man of sin, righteousness, and judgment, he uses every tool at his and man's desposal to keep man's mind on the things of the flesh.  Again, he is powerless against God's Word and even more, (and to many Christians this may sound shocking but) Satan knows the Scriptures better than most of us do.  Let us be clear on this.  Satan has no ability to respond to the gospel message and he cannot be saved from his final fate.  He does, however, have an intellectual knowledge of God's Word.  He has a memory and mind that is not subject to common human frailties like disease, dementia, fatigue, or age.  He (and his minions) are present when God's Word is discussed, talked about, read aloud.  Besides all of that, he has had to know what is in the Scriptures as he has worked tirelessly to produce powerfully deceptive counterfeits.  When one wants to defraud a currency one must study it harder than even the printers of the currency.  Satan is not original, saints.  What we do in sin has its origin with him.  Satan knows, therefore, his fate and how the depths of hell shall mock and scorn him as the lost say “is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; is this the man that made the nations tremble” (Isaiah 14:16)?  Satan is bent on bringing as many down into the pit with him as possible.  Furthermore, let us dispense with then terribly incorrect and unscriptural notion that Satan is ruling his kingdom based in fiery hell.  The Bible is clear that Satan is free and mobile in the world of men as he “as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8) and fears no man.  We must therefore, have access, and that unlimited, to weaponry that to him is completely irresistible.  We need the Holy Spirit.  

In this fast paced American society, our attentiveness to the cultivation of our relationship with Jesus Christ can sometimes suffer as our business with things that aren't necessarily sinful or harmful consume ever more increasing portions of our time and energy.  We, in our foolish thinking believe that “we'll be okay,” not even remembering that Satan desires to sift us as wheat.  The satanic bombardment is constant in our society.  Mindless television shows and movies, pointless athletic contests, pornography and reality shows clawing away at our decency all wear away at us, along with the normal toil of work and family responsibility.  We would do well to study closely how the Lord Jesus Christ approached the labor of his ministry and temptation.  

In Matthew chapter 4, Christ shows His people how to properly resist and overcome Satan and his tried and true methods to corrupt.  But first, we must have a truly proper understanding of all that was at stake here.  Satan knew exactly who Jesus was.  He was there when He was born; he was in the near background throughout Christ's childhood, biding his time, waiting for the optimum opportunity to corrupt his mortal enemy.  I believe that Satan knew from the Scriptures that the Messiah would one day come, hence his voracious, hateful pogroms against Israel throughout history, and I believe that he also knew that one of, if not the most essential missions on the agenda of the Messiah would be to wrest man out of his bondage.  He knew who Jesus was.  As Lucifer, Satan stood in the very presence of the Triune God and led the hosts of Heaven in worship; he knew.  And just as the underdog team in a playoff series dares to dream of pulling off the great upset of the highest-seeded team with the best players and record, I believe that Satan, in his inconceivable pride and folly actually thought that defeating Christ in the wilderness was actually possible.  After all, hadn't he corrupted man at Eden?  Hadn't he spurred man into such sin that Jehovah's judgment in the flood destroyed man, save eight?  Hadn't he oppressed and slaughtered the children of Israel over the centuries?  Hadn't he slithered his way into the very fabric of Jewish society with Baal, Asherah, and Moloch worship?  I believe Satan, just as the underdog when making a slew of critical, momentum-changing plays during the championship game, believed that he had a legitimate shot at unseating God from His Heavenly throne during those critical forty days.  

Close examination of the Scriptures shows us clearly as crystal that nothing-- absolutely nothing-- can take God by surprise.  God sees every outcome, every possibility, every impossibility all at once and not only does He know all, sees all, He has all power to act with no one in existence able to stay His mighty hand.  Jesus Christ was and is the only God-man, and while walking the roads of Judea those many years ago He divested Himself of the right to freely excercise His divine power as King of the universe, humbling Himself by becoming a servant-- the servant we could never be.  Christ limited Himself in His humanity but He never stopped being God incarnate.  He limited His own knowledge of certain things, choosing to trust the Father.  We know this from Mark 13:32, when the Lord says that not even He knew the day in which He would return to the earth.  In the humility of His earthly mission, He submitted to the Father's will exclusively.  This is important because in the most critical times of His life, aside from the crucifixion, Christ would be at His weakest physically, and in total isolation from the world.  Christ knew that He had to be tested.  His communion with the Father most assuredly revealed that, but never had Christ been subject to the unfettered temptation of Satan like He had been during His forty day fast in the wilderness.  All that has been said of Satan in the previous paragraphs, God knows to an infinite degree; He knew exactly what Christ was about to encounter yet the Holy Spirit didn't just lead Him into the wilderness, the Holy Spirit drove Him there, head-on against the sworn nemesis of all that is holy and righteous and good.  

Satan truly believed, I think, that this was the time when He could corrupt Jesus Christ.  Satan saw the physical weakness of the fast and he knew full well what fasting did to men.  Therefore, he attacked Jesus with what he knew appealed to selfish needs, motives, and desires.  While fasting is not the topic of this essay, this period of fasting fully crystalized the mission and focus of our Lord.  The key was His dependence on the guidance of the Holy Spirit even though the Holy Spirit brought Him to the furnace of trial.  Christ was ready though.  

The Lord said to His disciples of the Holy Spirit in John chapter 14, verse 26 that He would bring everything that He had said to them to their rememberance as part of the Spirit's work in their lives.  How would they know?  They had been immersed in Christ's teaching for three and a half years and it would be those things the Spirit would bring back as needed.  Why is this important?  It's important because the Holy Spirit did it for Jesus as well.  What was Jesus doing until age 30?  The Holy Spirit was preparing Him for these forty days.  Christ was studying God's Word, feasting on it, meditating on it, doing all the things He commanded His disciples to do with it.  If Christ Himself had to depend on the Holy Spirit and God's Word, how much more do we!  I believe that the temptation was a declaration of war on the kingdom of Satan and that his days were then numbered.

Christ, full of the Holy Spirit, having studied the Scriptures for decades was ready to both keep His desire for food in subjection and to place Satan into subjection.  Each temptation appealed to some aspect of selfish desire.  

Each temptation was to try to get Jesus to operate outside of God's will as Adam had done.  The first temptation appealed to His human need for the nourishment and satiating effects of food; the second temptation twisted God's word; the third temptation used the allure of power and the kingdoms of the world (which were Christ's by divine right).  All of them had one thing in common in that they all sought to motivate the Lord Jesus into making decisions outside the parameters set by His Father, the limits that He bound Himself to operate within.  Eating bread isn't evil; breaking a Holy Spirit-ordered fast is.  Trusting in God to protect (from injury and enemies) is actually a command; acting foolishly by intentionally placing oneself into danger is just that- foolish.  Ambition and desiring to possess that which belongs to you isn't wicked; taking possession of those things before God says so is.  It cannot be overstated the response of the Lord Jesus against our enemy.  Led by the Holy Spirit, He wielded God's Truth.  Satan wielded God's Truth, but he was not led by the Holy Spirit, nor could he be.  

In each temptation, the Word of God says that Satan said each time, “If you are,” “If you are,” “If you are.”  That's important as we come to the main point of this essay.  It was mentioned earlier that Satan knew exactly who Jesus was.  Jesus saw Satan expelled like lightning from Heaven at his rebellion.  Satan knew he could force Jesus to do nothing, so his only hope was to try to find weakness in the humanity of Christ; there was, of course none.  However, when Satan said “If” that could actually be “Since.”  He knew the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, but his being ultimately foolhardy led him to think that God had not planned for every contingency, reinforced every front of attack, foresaw all tactics he would use to attempt to gain an advantage.  I attest that the temptation of Christ was not to see if Jesus could stand against the power of Satan, but to prove that not only could He resist him, but that the power of God is unfathomably greater than the devil's little might and that there was absolutely no sin in Christ that could be used against Him.  For those of us who are blood-washed by Christ Jesus, the opening statements are the same by Satan and his demonic forces against us.  What God has wrought, he has no hope of undoing.  For those born-again, the Holy Spirit resides within us and his ability to corrupt us is limited by God's permissive will.  Furthermore, the Book of Job leads us to believe that Satan needs permission to attack the saints of God.  We are free from the bondage of sin and he cannot force us to do anything.

That leads us to the title of this piece.  Let us not behave as if we are sons of God, but let us behave righteously since we are sons of God; let us go boldly to the throne of grace since we are sons of God; let us love, worship, and serve Jehovah our God since we belong to Him.  Too much and too long have be behaved so un-Christlike, as if we're unsure of who and what we are in Christ.  Too many times we go outside the instruction of the Holy Spirit Who lives inside of us, grieving Him, placing ourselves in the jeopardy of divine chastisement.  Men-!  Since we are sons of God, let us pray like it, study God's Truth like it, stand without compromise in this last hour like it!

Satan knows who we are in Christ.  The problem, too often, is that we don't...

Until Jesus comes!

The War on Children Part One: "Malcolm"

"...somewhere, Herod was killing babies." The Beast, by Walter Dean Myers

I firmly believe that there is a merciless, sinister barrage waged against children in America, and one that shames the infamous onslaught of the Nazi Blitzkrieg against England during World War II.  The shelling with invisible artillery has all too visible destructive effects, for on the landscape of ideas and spirit lay strewn about the dim glowing-like-cooling-embers souls of our youth.  The mowing down of America's young people is taking place irregardless of social station, of ethnic affiliation, or of address; yet I must stipulate that the attacks are, in some places, more accelerated, more exact, more vicious.  (We call those places Englewood in Chicago; Compton in Los Angeles; the Bronx, in New York City, and there are countless others.)  One can look at the news, especially in Chicago and daily- literally daily- watch and listen to ghastly reports of cold, calculated acts of violence, of depraved, dark deeds of perversion against children.  Gang violence, like a determined legion of cancerous tumors within a healthy body marches through our nation's neighborhoods devouring the young in scores in the flower of youth.  The most frightening thing is that the multiple waves of vehemence are all intentional, all carefully planned.

The very first, and most important institution under attack by dark cabals is the family.  In America, the family has been assaulted as never before.  Some of the weaponry used to destroy the family have been innocuous, like healthy ambition, comfort and prosperity.  Yet the "big guns" used against the traditional nuclear family have been selfish motives and irresponsible sexual activity by parents, increasingly common drug use and abuse, but in particular, the one that will be the focus in this writing from the life of an actual young man (that I will call "Malcolm") having been a victim of sexual abuse by his very own family member.

When I started my teaching career close to fifteen years ago, I fit the stereotypical profile of the "change the world" teacher, who, in his very first year sought to rid the world of all its ills through miraculous, enthusiastic, competent education.  Little did I know how my (outstanding) university had under-prepared me for the tremendously huge challenges reigning in the community that surrounded my school.  I quickly learned to adjust; my father had instilled in me a strong work ethic and to be mentally tougher than the toughness of my situation.

"Malcolm" I immediately liked.  He had considerable deficits in the areas of Reading and Mathematics and typically used negative behavior and attention as a shield.  It was difficult to earn his trust but when I did, he was a pleasure to have in class, all things considered.  Over time, even amid an entire group of hard neighborhood roughening, he opened up considerably and allowed me (and a select few of his peers) into what he explained had been a regularity in his early adolescent years.  Beneath the veneer of professionalism and calm I was appalled as he shared that he had been molested over a period of six years by an older male sibling.  He said that he learned to cope, learned what and what not to expect.  He learned to just endure and just try to survive.  For him, getting through some days were monumental struggles and inevitably, the deeply-seated pain erupted in sometimes violent fashion.


I did my duty and reported what I knew about "Malcolm's" situation, even though he said that it had not been then-presently occurring.  "Malcolm" graduated on time having made great strides, yet intrapersonally, still far behind.  Of course, multiple pages more could be written, but the point here is to focus on American children in the cross-hairs of dastardly foes.  How could anyone forcibly and repeatedly take the innocence of a child?  All over the world- generally speaking- young children are symbols of purity and innocence.  It takes a truly blackhearted individual to target a child and hunt them like they are only meat.


In this nation, as the family continues to suffer relentless attack, the children are heavy casualties.  The attacks are deliberate and carefully engineered as it is quite apparent that one cannot accidentally molest a child.


"Malcolm" didn't know that he was in the middle of a war- nor did I.  Now I know from the pages of the Holy Bible that all of us, especially young people, are under surveillance and assault by unseen forces bent on the absolute corruption and ultimate destruction of mankind.  These forces are under the command of none other than Satan, who the Bible says, is "the god of this world" and that
"the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" (I John 5:19).  It must be noted however, that while Satan is powerfully active man, by himself will carry out every single wicked urge he conceives if given enough time and opportunity.  As mentioned earlier, one need only turn on the evening news to have bona fide evidence that man, at his core, is basically evil.  Not only that, but he's getting worse...

Man, always being spurred on by Satanic influences in the media, music, doctrine, and philosophy is a chief tool in advancing a brutal pogrom against children.  And there's something terribly broken, deep within the spirit of man that drives him to crush that which is pure, to find pleasure in tearing down rather than building, losing himself in hedonism rather than possessing peace with godly restraint.    Over the years, I have seen so many children wounded and battered in the midst of this bitter conflict and have heard stories and first-hand accounts fueled by copious amounts of drugs and seething eruptions of lasciviousness.

The family must once again become the strong, walled city it needs to be for the protection of children, for within the family children are nurtured, taught, and protected but this can only be done through supernatural means as supernatural devices are used against it.  The saving, regenerating power of Jesus Christ is more than sufficient to subdue the filth pulsating in the heart of man for this is what He came to do- He came to transform man from the inside out by giving him a new heart and a new mind through saving faith in His sacrificial, atoning work on the cross for sin.  That's the only hope.  I have not seen "Malcolm" in many years, but for the hundreds of children I have taught over the years, I continue to pray for them all.

Next in The War on Children will be Part Two: The Scourge

The Corruption of Atheism

“...and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory” (Revelation 16:9).

Something delicate, pure broke within man that beautiful, sun-filled day when first he decided to operate outside the confines of God's Law in the Garden known as Eden. That sublime Jehovah-wrought equilibrium was, until a time set by Himself, thrown into chaotic, brutal, totally corrupting disarray. Of course, I speak of the tragic fall of man- of the dire failure of all humankind yet within the loins of our first father, Adam. Yes, in him we all fell, and great was our descent into depravity, and the millenia-long war against our maker has been harsh and self-destructive on our end, the ubiquitous evidence of our single, greatest problem. In the fall, man wanted existence without divine rule and ever since that fateful day he has used all his energies, intelligence, God-given creativity to scour all reference of his creator from public view even though the prospect is utterly, completely impossible. And therein is the core desire, the central motivating aim of what we call today Atheism. That tragic day in God's garden, Self was born, and from it's unholy birth it has hated the Lord and served its own agenda above all else. Furthermore, Self loathes God because it knows that all its deeds shall one day be brought to bear and scrutinized by eyes that see all and are not hindered by any human weakness. Atheism is a philosophy that knows God exists but is bent on living as if He doesn't.

In the Scripture listed at the beginning of this essay aptly describes the very nature of man and while its context references future events during the Seventieth Week it still identifies the central aim of man even to his last unregenerated breath- life without Him. The Seventieth Week is the time when God's wrath is poured out on a rebellious world and His righteous judgment is certainly warranted as mankind cannot, during this special time more than any other deny the working and power of God in the sphere of mortal men. Man will still remain under the sway of Satan and Antichrist- by choice. Atheism is a personal philosophy, one's way of having his own way of living apart from the rule of God. The interesting allure of Atheism is that it is marketed as “a step up” from the earlier, even primitive stages of man being steeped in superstition and old wives' tales. Atheism is most certainly marketed to today's people.

Looking back at man's fall, and in particular the seductive words of Satan, he said to Eve, “you will be like God;” but man wanted His unlimited knowledge and self-autonomy, but none of His righteous character. Atheism is touted by so many prominent people, from scientists and physicists to acedemics and celebrities, displayed as the way of thinking for “thinkers,” for the sophisticated, for the learned. One of the smartest individuals in popular literary culture, Christopher Hitchens, wrote a much-circulated, New York Times best-selling book entitled, God is not Great. In fact, I own that book and have read it, and, by the way, read it aghast when he purports that parents' inculcating religion into the minds of their children is tantamount to child abuse. Child abuse! What's amazing is his use of language and depth of logic and reason as he defends his built-on-folly point of view. His main premise is that there can be no agreement between the overwhelming, seemingly unstoppable presence of evil in the world and the existence of a good, omnipotent God (especially the God of the Bible). There are countless others, from Professor Stephen Hawking to Bill Maher and while the number of atheists in the world is not the subject of this paper, the atheists mentioned portray themselves as learned, erudite- and course, sophisticated. Another centrality is that they eschew God and live in His universe, His sublime creation that declares His glory, intelligence, might, and wisdom as if Someone of great purpose had not made it. Astonishing.

The Bible says of these individuals, of the same kind who will look in the very face of holy recompense in the last hours of Man's Day and curse God, who will literally grit their collective teeth and force themselves not to repent. While not the first book of the Bible in traditional order, the Book of Job, which is the first book chronologically spoke_ of the nature of the Atheist in chapter 21, verses 14 and 15:

“Yet they say to God, 'Depart from us,
For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?
And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?'”

The Atheists that the Word speaks of here seem most like apostates, those who know that God exists, has all power, but reject His rule over them, thereby living as if He does not exist. (By the way, Christians sometimes live this way when steeped in backsliding, living as if Christ will not hold them accountable.) Probably the most damning indictment of the mind and behavior of atheistic thinking is found in Romans chapter 1, summed up in verse 22 where the Holy Spirit says, “Professing to be wise, they became fools,” which let's us know that man, still since the Garden of Eden has not given up seeking to be like God while rejecting having a relationship with Him.

Elsewhere in Romans, the Apostle Paul lets us know that God has written the fact of His existence and Law on the heart of man and the very presence of the conscience as an internal code of law invalidates man's claims of His nonexistence. The word is clear that men literally “suppress the truth” by unrighteous living and vain philosophy. Atheism is illogical in that it denies the obvious order of the universe, the intentional structure of the human body down to the atoms and quarks of each individual cell. It has no basis and actually needs God to have any purpose in the world of men. If God did not exist, then, would Atheism?

The Very Last Cheeseburger

     There are few things in the world that are more uniquely special to Americans than a cooked-just-right cheeseburger, with all the toppings and extras one could want.  Personally, a good cheeseburger ranks high on my list of favorite foods to savor.  I love mine cooked over bright orange dancing flames slathered with gobs of mayonnaise, at least three slices of tomato and double that in the strongest onions one can find.  Finally, I love for the ketchup and mustard to literally drip as I pick it up to devour it.  (Obviously, you can probably tell that I take my cheeseburger dining quite seriously.) 
     In these United States, one can purchase a halfway decent cheeseburger at almost any time, day or night.  Of course the price is usually correlated to the quality of the burger but we have the opportunity to indulge around the clock, especially in the city of Chicago.  There's the "big boys" like McDonald's and Burger King (and I suppose Wendy's as well).  There are neighborhood favorites like Top Notch, Maxwell's, and Dillinger's, and countless others all over the communities of Chicago and cities like Chicago.  All of these almost innumerable options only serve as undeniable testaments to our freedom in the United States.  My purpose here is not to wax poetically about cheeseburgers but rather what cheeseburgers may represent.  Bear with me.
     Right now in the United States we still enjoy freedoms that make us the envy of the world (despite their continual erosion).  For me, enjoying something as simple and mundane as a cheeseburger represents the most pleasant of memories-- of summer evenings free of care, of brief moments of respite after long hours of diligent labor, of relaxing Friday nights at the dinner table with my family.  However, our cheeseburger-appreciating culture rests upon a veritable foundation of matchsticks.  Beneath our masks of civility and patriotism are barely-chained monsters of fear and anxiety as we look upon these stressful times of financial uncertainty and geopolitical upheaval.  Yes, our facade of prosperity is consumed with cracks and bruises, barely holding together.  The incompetence that reigns in our nation's and states' capitols rules incredulously and the nation teeters on ruin.
     I think about what cheeseburgers represent, along with simple pleasures of the sort and how rapidly American society would devolve into anarchy should we lose them.  Our culture seems more and more dependent on sating our collective appetites on leisure and self-gratification, on consumption for the sake of consumption; we seem to lose more and more of what we once were in the temple of the religion of materialism and covetousness with no end in sight.  Think about it- what would happen if, like spoiled infants, the pacifier of our pleasure were yanked away?  Just like that baby which would cry as long as needed for it to be returned, how much would we destroy, how many would we be willing to infuriate and injure just to have our portion of the "pleasure pie" restored?  I attest that our decorum is a sham and it's polished exterior is as fragile as the thinnest, cheapest light bulb one can buy, and all necessary to cast us all into a cauldron of chaos is the loss of that which we have come to think is ours by right.  We're so used to satisfying our appetites that it frightens me to ponder on how we'll behave having to go without the trivial nuances we've duped ourselves into thinking we need them.
     "Black Friday" alone has shown us a California woman who pepper-sprayed other shoppers just so that she could secure "her chance to buy cheap electronics at a Walmart"  (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gnP4lNWq7GNim9MPpqvajINVGVZw?docId=1054bb0d4514486298f6d82bdcf18881). If this woman would stoop to such levels just to add more to her clutches, consider what people would do when even the bare necessities are scarce or even unavailable!
     It's the simple pleasures like cheeseburgers that we've grown fat and lazy from, the excess that has distracted us from preserving and improving our homes, communities, and nation.  It is these that we have enslaved ourselves to and have become quite unwilling to live without.  Yes, humanity can be quite ugly without legitimate needs- ask the Germans in post-WWI Germany, or African-Americans after the assassination of Martin Luther King.  And to think, cheeseburgers aren't even that healthy.